Since age 14, Elise Reitze and Rosie Taylor have bonded over more than just personality. Holding bachelor degrees of music in performance and composition, these two female artists are well respected educators in the music scene.
Their band name, Feels, showcased at SXSW 2019 in Austin, Texas, where they captivated audiences in a unique auditory and visual experience.
The girls recently co-founded WOMPP (Women of Music Production Perth), a female-run label, booking agency and Ableton user group community. WOMPP gives opportunities to female, transgender, and non-binary music makers to share, discuss, and showcase music production within the broader Australian music community.
Their goal? To inspire and nurture Australia’s diverse electronic music scene while providing a safe place for learning and growth.
I spoke with the girls about what this journey means to them:
GritDaily: How did you get started?
Feels: We were fourteen (14) years old and we met at an after-school percussion program. The minute our eyes locked across the room, we began exchanging drum solos and have been working together ever since!
GD: Why electronic dance music? What about it strikes you the most?
Feels: Electronic music allows for the infinite creation of new sound. We are able to utilize all of the amazing compositional devices, such as chords, melody, and rhythms combined with unique self-invented sound design. We definitely see electronic music as the future and we love playing high-energy shows in front of live audiences!
GD: What’s the most challenging part about being in this space?
Feels: Our live set involves alot of complex programming, which means there is alot of space for things to go wrong. This can be stressful before shows, so quick troubleshooting skills are an absolute must!!
Another challenging factor is getting audiences who typically are accustomed to music with lyrics, to engage with electronic production on its own.
GD: What can you tell us about your latest album?
Feels: We are actually releasing our debut album in September this year! We are really excited about this release as we feel it is in equal parts, electronic pop, featuring singers and innovative production/sound design.
GD: What was your favorite part about SXSW 2019 this year?
Feels: We were excited to take part in and share our live set with an international audience and showing our potential to the music industry representatives at SXSW. We are also really excited to be seeing the other new electronic acts coming up at the festival and bein inspired to go home and create new music.
GD: What do you want EDM fans to know about you?
Feels: We are more than just a band. We also run and are the co-founders of WOMPP (Women of Music Production Perth) which is an all female run and signed label, booking agency and Ableton user group. We are passionate about improving equal gender representation in the music scene and every time we play live we hope to empower any young woman, trans-gender, or no binary audience members to see a pathway to being an electronic producer/artist.
